The present invention relates to a hydro massage bathtub enclosure and more specifically to air communication conduits which interconnect air jet holes and/or valves disposed in the walls of the bathtub enclosure to a blower which directs pressurized air to the air jet holes via the conduits.
Hydro massage bathtub enclosures provided with air jet holes and/or valves and conduits to direct air under pressure into the bathtub to impart turbulent massage air flows in the water, are known. After the water in the bathtub enclosure has been evacuated it is desirable to actuate the air blower whereby to purge the conduits of any residual water or water droplets that could have infiltrated into the conduit through the holes and this particularly when the air blower is shut off while water remains in the bathtub enclosure. Usually, to evacuate this residual water the blower is actuated a predetermined time after the water has been evacuated from the bathtub enclosure. However, it has been found that water may still remain in the conduit in specific areas thereof where air pressure is reduced or where a stagnant area is created in the conduit due to its shape and/or the location of air jet holes with respect to the stagnant areas. Stagnant water in the conduit is not desirable as it generates bacteria.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a hydro massage bathtub enclosure having conduit means which substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantage of the prior art.
According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a hydro massage bathtub enclosure wherein the conduit means is provided with a curved cavity below one or more of the air jet holes to create a turbulent air flow in the area of the curved cavity to evacuate any residual water in the conduit through an associated air jet hole.
Another feature of the invention is to provide an air conduit which has a sloped bottom wall to substantially compensate for pressure drop and to facilitate residual water evacuation therefrom.
Another feature of the invention is to provide an air conduit which is tapered.
According to a further feature there is provided an air jet hole in the cavity for the evacuation of water in the cavity through the jet hole or valve secured thereto.
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a hydro massage tub which comprises sidewalls, end walls and a bottom wall, and an open top end. A plurality of air jet holes is provided in at least some of the sidewalls, end walls and bottom wall. Conduits interconnect the air jet holes to an air blower, which provides air pressure in the conduit. The improvement resides in one or more cavities having been formed in the conduits adjacent one or more of the air jet holes to collect residual water channeled in the one or more cavities after the water level in the bathtub enclosure has been lowered below the air jet holes. The air pressure in the conduit evacuates the water from the cavity through an associated one of the air jet holes.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention, the cavity is a curved cavity whereby the air pressure in the conduit creates a turbulent air flow in the curved cavity to disperse residual water channeled to the cavity through the air jet hole.
According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a water evacuating conduit secured in the conduit means and having an inlet end disposed adjacent the base wall of the cavity and a discharge end is secured about the air jet hole, whereby the air pressure in the conduit means will force the residual water from the cavity through the evacuating conduit and out through the air jet hole.